TissueDB/Tissues/Empyema

Empyema: purulent fluid and fibrinous debris accumulated within body cavity. Image by Yale Rosen, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Empyema consists of purulent fluid, fibrinous debris, and inflammatory material accumulated within a body cavity, most commonly the pleural space.

Pleural effusion — a distinct entity: fluid in the pleural space that is not necessarily infected. Empyema is the infected, purulent case; the two are not interchangeable.
Pleura — affected membrane in pleural empyema
Skin — thoracostomy access point
Muscle — intercostal musculature layers
Lung — visceral pleural surface adjacent to empyema

References

At a Glance

Synonyms

Medical terms: Pyothorax, Pleuritis purulenta
Common names: Thoracic empyema, Purulent effusion, Infected pleural effusion, Loculated effusion
Regional names: Empiema (ES/PT/IT), Empyème (FR)

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Authors	Arturopelayo, Ian-laurel
License	CC-BY-SA-4.0
Language	English (en)
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Created	December 29, 2025 by Ian-laurel
Last edit	July 26, 2026 by StandardWikitext bot
Cite as	Arturopelayo, Ian-laurel (2025–2026). "TissueDB/Tissues/Empyema". Appropedia. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
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